Preloaded film magazine with light sealing web



. United States Patent [72] Inventor Hubert Nerwin Rochester, New York[21 1 Appl. No. 650,293

[22] Filed June 30, 1967 [45] Patented: Aug. 11, 1970 [73] AssigneeEastman Kodak Company Rochester, New York a Corp. of New Jersey [54]PRELOADED FILM MAGAZINE WITH LIGHT SEALING WEB 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.8. CI 95/31 [51] G03b 19/04 [50] Field olSearch 95/31, 67;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,384,318 5/1968 Nerwin eta1 242/71.1

2,114,638 4/1938 Parker 95/ 7 2,591,417 4/1952 Frye 95/31 2,933,0274/1960 Hollingworth et al. 95/31 2,983,462 5/1961 Berlings 95/31UX3,138,084 6/1964 Harvey 95/31 3,276,340 10/1966Nerwin.................... 95/31 3,402,650 9/1968 Hoadley 95/31X PrimaryExaminer- Norton Ansher Assistant Examiner- David S. Stallard AttorneyRobert W. Hampton and Malcolm G. Dunn ABSTRACT: A photographic filmmagazine having a supply chamber and a take-up chamber with a rotatabletake-up spool. The magazine is inserted in a camera transversely to thecamera picture taking axis, and one end wall of the magazine hasperipheral lip means that cooperate with corresponding slot means in thecamera to form a lighttight closure between the magazine and the camera.The magazine further may be provided in the film passageways of bothchambers with a predetermined pattern of surface irregularities toreduce reflection of light into the film chambers.

PRELOADED FILM MAGAZINE WITH LIGHT SEALING WEB The present inventionrelates to photography and more particularly to cameras and filmmagazines for use therein.

Cameras using expendable film magazines have been well known for manyyears and have become increasingly popular with the advent of improvedplastic molding techniques and materials enabling such magazines to beproduced accurately and inexpensively. Typically, such magazinescomprise a cas ing defining a lighttight film supply chamber housing astrip of coiled film extending therefrom into a second casing defining alighttight film'take-up chamber which includes a rotatable core on whichthe film is wound by the film advance mechanism of the camera to bringsuccessive areas into exposure position between the two casings. Incameras of 35mm size or larger using such magazines, the portion of filmbetween the casings is usually supported in the focal plane of thecamera lens or objective by film guide means incorporated in themagazine itself, with light sealing means being provided between thefilm guide portion of the magazine and the adjacent camera structure sothat the exterior portions of the magazine itself need not be shieldedfrom light when the magazine is installed in the camera.

However, in similar magazines such as those used in socalledsub-miniature cameras of 16mm size or smaller, the film usually is notsupported by the magazine structure between the two casings, but isreceived laterally between appropriate guide surfaces at the focal planeof the camera lens when the magazine is installed in the camera. Sincethe portion of film between the two casings is entirely unprotected bythe magazine, it has been necessary, heretofore, for the magazine to becompletely enclosed within the camera to exclude light from theunexposed areas of film advanced into exposure position between thechambers. This requirement complicates the construction of the camera bynecessitating a lighttight cover door. This requirement also precludesthe possibility of having an exterior portion of the magazine exposed toview when the camera is loaded to identify the type of film in thecamera and to provide exposure information by means of appropriatevisible indicia on the magazine.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to eliminatethe necessity for a lighttight cover door on a camera adapted to employthe latter type of magazines, by providing the camera and magazine withcooperating means for excluding light from the interior camera chamberaccommodating the magazine film casings and the intermediate portion offilm when the camera is loaded. Such a construction also allows therealization of another important object of the invention, namely, topermit direct viewing by the photographer of an indicia bearing portionof the magazine even when the magazine is positioned in a camera and thecamera cover member is closed.

Still another important object of the invention is to improve The filmmagazine 11, shown in the drawings, preferably is formed of moldedplastic components comprising a rigid, light impermeable top wall member12, a film supply casing member 13 and a film take-up casing member 14enclosing a rotatable film winding core 15. As best shown in FIGURE 2,an elongate film strip 16 is initially coiled about an axis within thefilm supply chamber 17 defined by a generally cylindrical wall surfaceof the casing member 13 and extends into the film take-up chamber 18defined by a generally cylindrical wall surface of said casing member14, wherein the end of the film strip is attached to the winding core15.

The end portions of the film magazine defining the film supply chamberand the film take-up chamber are substantially allochiral, withcorresponding elements thereof being identified in the drawings by thesame numeral followed by the suffix a or b to designate the film supplyand film take-up structures, respectively. The film take-up casingmember 14 includes a curved outer wall member 19b contiguous with abottom wall member 21b and is provided at its upper, open end with aperipheral flange 22b. As shown in FIGURE 3, a tubular core supportmember 23 centrally located on bottom wall member 21b serves to providea lighttight support for the rotatable film winding core 15, the top endof which is similarly supported by a tubular projection 25 on wallmember 12.

To simplify assembly of the magazine, by obviating endwise orientationof the film winding core, symmetrical transverse key members 26 areprovided along its axis of rotation on opposite sides of a central web27. Thus, whichever way the core is placed in the magazine, a key memberis accessible through the tubular core support member 23, by a filmwinding member of the camera, as will be described later. As will alsobe explained in greater detail, the wall member 12 of the magazine isprovided with a surface lateral to the top surface and defining acontinuous downwardly projecting peripheral lip 28 along the externaledge or collar portion thereof and with a pair of shallower transverselip members 29a and 29b extending across the width of wall member 12.When the casing members are assembled to the wall member, these lipmembers serve to locate the casing members 13 and 14 in the labyrinthpassageway means by which light is excluded from the film supply andtake-up chambers of the'magazine to protect the film therein when themagazine is removed from the camera, such improvement also beingapplicable to other types of film magazines.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, reference being made to the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a camera and film magazine accordingto a preferred embodiment of the inven- FIGURE 3 is a partial frontcross-sectional view'taken through the film take-up casing of the filmmagazine shown in FIGURES l and 2, with the film strip omitted forpurposes of clarity.

lighttight relation to wall member 12 by engagement with the peripheralflanges 22a and 22b on the casing members.

As best depicted in FIGURE 2, the casing members are provided withaligned film strip openings 31a and 31b. To prevent the passage of lightinto the film chambers through these openings, while allowing freemovement of the film strip therethrough, curved inner wall members 32aand 32b are closely spaced from the adjacent inner surfaces of thecasing members between the bottom walls thereof and wall member 12, todefine narrow arcuate film channels extending between the film stripopenings and the film chambers. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the innerwall members preferably are formed integrally with wall member 12 andare supported along their lower edges in lighttight relation to thebottom wall members of the casings by slots as shown at 33b. Similarly,the edges of the inner wall members adjacent openings 31a and 31b areprovided, respectively, with tongues 34a and 34b, which are received insupporting lighttight engagement in corresponding grooves 35a and 35b inthe outer wall members of the film casings. By this arrangement, thefilm strip extends through the arcuate channels, which, although shownsomewhat wider in FIGURES 2 and 3 for purposes of clarity, are actuallyonly slightly wider than the thickness of the film strip. Even with sucha construction, however, if the wall surfaces defining the channels aresmooth, a minute but nonetheless unacceptable amount of light may reachthe interior of the casings through the arcuate film channels byrepeated grazing reflection between the film strip and the adjacentchannel wall.'To minimize this possibility, the adjacent wall surfacesdefining the film channels are made substantially non-reflective ofgrazing light rays by means of light diffusing surface irregularities,for example a series of parallel notches, as shown at 36, definingserrate surfaces adjacent the film strip in the channels.

During assembly of the magazine, which is of course accomplished indarkness or non-actinic light, the flange portions of the film casingmembers are cemented or otherwise united with the mating surfaces ofwall member 12 on one face or surface of the wall member to permanentlyseal the film chambers. The take-up chamber is later broken open toremove the film therefrom for processing, thereby destroying theexpendable magazine. Also, during the assembly process, the loadedmagazine is provided with appropriate indicia, on the top or the otherface surface of wall member 12, as shown at 37 in FIGURE l, indicatingthe type of film in the magazine and providing other informationrelating thereto, such as appropriate exposure value ratings. Suchindicia may be printed or otherwise marked directly on wall member 12or, preferably, may be provided by means of a label cemented to themagazine.

FIGURE 1 shows a loaded magazine 11, as previously described, in properposition for insertion into a camera 41 comprising a body member 42, alens assembly 43 and'a magazine retaining slide member 44. As indicatedgenerally by numeral 45, the camera body member includes wall meansdefining a magazine compartment adapted to receive the film supply andtake-up casing members of the film magazine with the portion of filmextending therebetween being supported within the compartment in thefocal plane of the camera lens between a rearward film support platen 46and a rearwardly biased aperture plate 47 resiliently engaging the filmstrip about the exposure area thereof. When the magazine is so receivedin the magazine compartment of the camera, the edge or collar portion oftop wall member 12 is received within a corresponding recess 48 in thecamera body member extending laterally beyond the magazine compartmenttherein, whereby top wall member 12 serves to close the compartment withthe top face surface of the magazine being substantially flush with thesurrounding camera body surface 49. When the magazine is so positioned,the previously mentioned peripheral lip 28, extending downwardly aboutthe edge or collar portion of wall member 12, and beyond the peripheralflanges 22a and 22b of the film casing members, is received within acorresponding continuous slot 51 in recess 48 to further enhance thelighttight closure of the compartment by the wall member of themagazine. Thus, the installation of the magazine into the cameracompletely excludes light from the magazine compartment housing theotherwise unprotected portion of film between the magazine casings andthereby eliminates the need for a lighttight cover door on the camera.It should be apparent that arrangements other than the illus trated lipand slot structure could be employed to provide lighttight cooperationbetween the magazine wall member 12 and the mating surface of the camerabody and that the wall member need not be of the particular shape shownin the drawings, provided the edge portion thereof extends beyond thefilm casings and beyond the intermediate'portion of film to provide aneffective light seal for the magazine compartment.

When the magazine is so installed in the camera, one of the key members26 of the film winding core is engaged by a film winding spindle 52associated with a winding mechanism, as illustrated by knob 53, toadvance successive areas-of film into exposure position between platen46 and aperture plate 47. As shown at 54, the film strip may be providedwith uniformly spaced perforations along one edge thereof, whichcooperate with a metering pawl, not shown, associated with the filmwinding mechanism of the camera, to regulate the advance ment ofsuccessive film areas into exposure position. Also, if desired, themagazine may be provided with tactile coding means adapted, uponinstallation of the magazine, to adjust an element of the camera as afunction of a characteristic of the position, in which resilient fingers55 thereof engage the. topface surface of the magazine to bias the edgeportion of wall member 12 against the matingsurface of the camera bodymember. Such closing of the slide member also'bringsLopen-ing 56 thereininto alignment with indicia 37 on the magazine so that such indicia maybe observed by the photographer during use of the loaded camera. It isimportant to note, however,

that the slide member does not comprise a lighttight door enclosing themagazine, but is simply a means for retaining the magazine in its loadedposition, which, if desired, could be accomplished by other means suchas by resilient clips or the like.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail withreference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will beunderstood that variations and modifications can be effected within thespirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A camera for using a double chamber film magazine comprising:

(a) spaced film casings defining film chambers therein; (b) an elongatestrip of film received at opposite ends thereof coiled about respectiveaxes within said chambers with an intermediate portion of said filmextending between said casings; and

(c) a generally flat wall member adjacent corresponding axial ends ofsaid casings, said wall member including continuous peripheral edgemeans defining a lip around the periphery of said wall member andoverlapping the casings and said intermediate film portion at said axialends;

said camera comprising:

(d) means defining a picture taking axis; (e) a body member including:

(1) internal wall means defining an open ended magazine compartment toreceive said casings and said intermediate film portion in a directiontransverse to said picture taking axis, and

(2) surface means surrounding the open end of said magazine compartmentto cooperate with said peripheral edge portion of said wall member tocontain the casings and intermediate film portion between the surfacemeans and wall member and to provide a lighttight closure of saidmagazine compartment by said wall member when said magazine ispositioned with said casings and said intermediate film portion receivedin said magazine compartment;

and

(f) retention means for releasably retaining said magazine in saidcamera-- 2. A camera according to Claim 1 having an objective andincluding film guiding means within said compartment for supporting saidintermediate film portion in the focal plane of the objective when saidmagazine is positioned in said camera.

3. A camera according to Claim 1 in which said retention means definesan opening to permit at least a portionof said wall member to be visiblefromthe camera exterior.

4. A double chamber film magazine for use in a photographic camera, thecamera having means for receiving the magazine and for cooperating withthe magazine to form a lighttight seal therewith, the magazinecomprising:

first and second spaced casings defining light-tight film chambers, eachof said casings having two end portions and having means definingopenings through which film can pass into and out of the chambers;

.connecting means joined to said casings at only one end portion of'each casing, respectively, "to form the magazine, said casings beingspaced a predetermined distance by said connecting means and acrosswhich space film from one casing can pass to the other casing; and,

with the camera to form a light-tight seal for shielding film in thespace between the casings from ambient light when the magazine is in thecamera.

5. A double chamber film magazine .for use with a camera having lightsealing means adapted to cooperate with the magazine, themagazine'comprising? sealing means on said connecting means forcooperating (a) an elongate film supply casing having two ends anddefining a film supply chamber and a first longitudinal axis;

(b) an elongate film take-up casing having two ends and peripheral edgethereof, said second wall cooperating with each casing to define lightsealing recess means therebetween for closely receiving the lightsealing rib of the camera in a light-tight manner.

defining a film take-up chamber and a second longitu- 5 7. A doublechamber film magazine for use with a camera dinal axis; having lightsealing means, the magazine comprising:

(c) an elongate strip of film wound at one end within said (a) anelongated film supply casing including generally film supply chamber,and at the other end within said cylindrical wall surfaces defining alongitudinal axis film take-up chamber with a portionof the film stripexand a film supply chamber open to the exterior of said tending betweensaid casings; and, 10 film supply casing only through a first narrowelongate (d) a rigid, light impermeable wall member having a faceconnected to each of said casings at only one end of each casing torigidly support said casings with the first and second axes normal tothe one face and in parallel necting member having a first substantiallyflat wall with a peripheral edge and a second wall extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the first wall about the slot;

(b) an elongated film take-up casing including generally cylindricalwall surfaces defining a longitudinal axis and a film take-up chamberopen to the exterior of said spaced relation to each other, said wallmember includ- 15 film p casing y through a Second narrow eloningperipheral light sealing means, said peripheral light g Slot; sealingmeans including an edge portion extending norcasing pp m n pp r ing ai igs in mal to the one face around the portion of the film strip Spacedrelation with the axes Paranal and Said Slots between the casings forcooperating with the camera disposed in confronting alignment with ea hother; light sealing means to define a light-tight seal between 20 (d) agenerally fiat wan member adjacent corresponding the magazine edg ortiod th camera ends of said casings and substantially normal to the 6. Adouble chamber film magazine for use in a camera, the axes f i Saidmember 'f a h P i camera having means defining a light sealing rib, themagazine cohhectlhg the caslhgs and Peripheral hght Seahhg comprising:means, said peripheral light sealing means including an (a) a pair ofspaced film casings defining chambers for 25 edge Portion extendingnormal Said main P i receiving an elongate strip of film coiled therein,each h Parallel to the axes of f Casmgs for cooperahhg of said chambershaving an elongate body portion and Y the camera hght seahhg means and fdefine a an d i d light seal between the magazine edge portion and the(b) a connecting member joined to said casings at the and camera'portions f h casings to f the magazine, said com 30 8. A film magazineaccording to Claim 6 wherein the second wall is continuous and extendsentirely around the peripheral edge of the wall member.

